MILLS:
In the studio is the Prime Minister of Australia, Mr John Howard, back in the Goldfields. Good morning and welcome to Radio West.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, good to be back, Steve. I think it';s the third of fourth time I';ve been to Kalgoorlie over the last few years, it';s great to be back with Barry Haase.
MILLS:
Indeed. Now, one of your idols, if you could have an idol, is probably Steve Waugh, the recently…
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh yeah, he';s a bit of a sporting hero of a lot of Australians.
MILLS:
Absolutely, the Australian of the Year, an absolute ripper bloke, retired as the Australian Test Captain and he';s been around Australia and he';s been applauded. You must be tempted to have a look at the way that he';s gone out in such style and grace. It must make you think about your own retirement. And this morning, Mr Latham';s been talking about the possibility that you might be a little bit too old for the job. How do you react to that?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I think I';ll leave that to the Australian people to decide. I don';t think the Australian people are interested in anything other than how well you do the job. The age of the person is irrelevant. The Australian people will make a judgement on who';s best for the job and I will accept that judgement.
MILLS:
30 years this year in politics, that';s a long time.
PRIME MINISTER:
Yeah, but I';m enjoying it.
MILLS:
And the enthusiasm…
PRIME MINISTER:
Hasn';t waned. I don';t think anybody would suggest my enthusiasm for the job has waned. If anything, it builds as time goes by. I';m finding it as challenging and as stimulating now as I did when I first became Prime Minister a few years ago. But I don';t mind Mr Latham raising these issues, he can raise anything he likes, it';s a free country. And in the end, the commonsense of the Australian people will come through, as it always does, and they will make a judgment and I';m quite happy to accept whatever judgement they make. But I have a commitment to the job, I';m trying to do it well. This country is strong, it';s growing very well economically. We have for the first time in 35 years, we have unemployment below six per cent and inflation below three per cent, you have to go back to 1968. We';ve got rid of all that debt that Labor left us. We';ve been able to grow the economy at a very strong rate. We have strong exports. We';ve developed a diversification in our trade relationships. So we have the lowest interest rates for decades.
MILLS:
Things are good, which is great.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I mean, I don';t say that smugly. You';ve always got to work at it and good times can be quickly disturbed by bad inexperienced inept policies. I think what the Australian people want is a steady hand at the tiller, they want to maintain the strong economic conditions that we now have.
MILLS:
Well, one of the things that people on the Goldfields would like to hear you say during your visit is perhaps, Mr Haase, who';s a hardworking member for Kalgoorlie…
PRIME MINISTER:
Very hardworking.
MILLS:
Who you know well. He';s been at the forefront of leading taxation zone rebates and getting it overdue. Now with the eroding over time of inflation, it hardly is worth even filling it out on your tax return and areas like the Goldfields of WA are disadvantaged. Are you aware of Barry';s recommendation when it…?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh, I';m very aware of it.
MILLS:
And are you going to do anything about it?
PRIME MINISTER:
As I tell you, I';m very aware of Barry';s recommendations.
MILLS:
How much are we going to get, John?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, we haven';t made any decisions to make changes on that as yet, there are arguments for and against it. There are people who argue that if you were going to provide tax relief, you should bulk up the available resources and provide tax relief more generally for people. We will consider the zone rebate issue in the budget, in the lead up to the budget. Barry has certainly put the case very strongly. One of the things I will be able to talk about while I';m here, of course, is the renewal of the ‘Roads to Recovery'; programme, which is a $1.2 billion programme that we';re renewing for another four years. And also to make it very plain that we';re going to use the money that is currently being made available for the fuel subsidy rebate, we';re going to divert that in a couple of years time, it';s about $8 million of it, for additional funding for rural and regional roads and that would be a great benefit to Kalgoorlie and that will be on top of the $1.2 billion ‘Roads to Recovery'; programme.
MILLS:
I know we';re pressed for time, but the mining industry want the answer, that is flow through shares…
PRIME MINISTER:
Well flow through… Barry has put that. That was something that we';ll also consider in the budget. I';m not going to make a promise on the run about that. But Barry has put that case very strongly and it';s been put to me on earlier occasions when I';ve come to Kalgoorlie. It';s something that is specific to the mining industry. It';s an approach that';s been tried in Canada, in particular, and I am aware of how it works and I';m aware of the case that has been put for it. But I am not in a position to give a response yes or no today.
MILLS:
And just very quickly – you';ve explained you';ve got a great record when it comes to financial management, you';ve also tackled some pretty difficult roads internationally. Do you feel your Government';s in contact with the average person that lives in the Goldfields?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, we try to be. I mean, I never make absurd claims about that sort of thing. I try hard to listen to all Australians. I think people who live in the remoter parts of Australia want an understanding of their special challenges, but they also want a stable economy and they want a secure country. And they';re the things that are, of course, at the very top of our list.
MILLS:
Okay. Well, we do appreciate your time this morning. I know you';re very busy and you';re out to a primary school very shortly, which is great to see. You';ll find the standard of education in the Goldfields as high as you';ll see it anywhere in Australia.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, that';s great. This is a gathering of children from both government and independent schools and I think that';s what it';s all about, it';s providing choice about the education of your children.
MILLS:
And to Barry, thanks for bringing the Prime Minister in today.
HAASE:
Always a pleasure, Steve. You';re a great host, you do a good job and you put the message to the people of Goldfields well.
MILLS:
And I';ve got to ask you a question – when it is time to go, whenever that may be, could Barry step up?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, look, I haven';t thought about going mate. I';m all about staying. You know, I';m very focused and the Australian people will decide my future.
MILLS:
Indeed.
PRIME MINISTER:
They always have in the past and I accept that they always will in the future.
MILLS:
Well, it';s great to have you back yet again in the Goldfields. We wish you well and best of luck in the future.
PRIME MINISTER:
Thank you.
[ends]